As my family and I are headed out of town this weekend for about a week in South Carolina - I feel like these next few days are all I have left before CRUNCH TIME!
This morning I spent some time in my room with the second grade teacher who had my room last year (she is moving up to 4th) and her precious daughter (Who could be in my class this fall! AH!) in my classroom. We went over some things, went through some things and talked about A LOT of things. IT is SO so SO sweet of her to spend all of this time helping me out - she has a whole classroom, curriculum, and such to set up of her own in a new grade this August and has been so available, supportive and loving of me. I feel the "family" element that this small private school will really be able to offer me.
We really covered everything under the sun - from where to put their lunchboxes and how to collect the milk money all the way to pacing the basal readers, how to structure the vocabulary tests each unit, and also the best way to organize the seating/displays and library. WHEW!
One of the things that really hit home for me was when she was talking about being not only a new second grade teacher, but new at our school in August and parents who found out their children would be in her class were upset to have the "rookie." She had even taught for years in other schools before coming to this campus, and I'm a TOTAL newbie to boot! I am trying to think positive, and be confident and of course share my portfolio with any and everyone who wants to see it (I stayed up all night working on it, after all, didn't I?). I hear that this group of kids is sweeter than some of the students above and below them, and there's no need in worrying about something before it happens, but I am really REALLY going to try and prove myself (to me and others) this year - the teachers on my team or hall who have been working forever in education and are hesitant to new ideas, people out there who think teaching is cushy and easy, and me a few years ago - harping on all of my time spent in Curry preparing me for this one and wondering if i'd ever get here!
My plan is as follows - head to school ALL day Thursday and Friday before my family rolls in so I can rest easy on vacation and not be itching to get back here when I should be R-E-L-A-X-I-N-G. :) I might not do so much work on my room as just sit in there quietly reading my books, making notes, getting organized, and looking through curriculum materials. (I am learning that as cute and prepared as my classroom is going to be - I need to be TWICE that ready academically and magament-wise!)
A few picnic perfect items in the works:
-NEWSLETTER each week/month (still deciding) - THE PICNIC PRESS
-Ant periphernalia - including an ant stamp, an ex libris to put inside of my books ("From the library/desk of Ms. Casanova)
-Stationary/ a pad of paper for the top of my desk/notes home so everything is uniform
-CURTAINS FOR THE CLASSROOM
-bulletin board brainstorms are in the works
-I am still trying to brainstorm the library - I have wire shelves, but need baskets to go up there and to figure out which genres that will be the groupings
Juuuuuuust a taste. Of course there are like 4982098098 things going on in my head right now. :)
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